Driver Signs two year extension

[ChuckSTG]

Packers give Driver 2-year extension


By Rob Demovsky
PackersNews.com

Green Bay Packers receiver Donald Driver has signed a two-year contract extension that runs through 2009.

The general parameters of the contract were listed on the NFL Players Association Web site, and the deal was confirmed by an NFL source on Thursday afternoon. The source said the deal was completed last week.

The contract actually lowers Driver’s base salary for this season from $1.36 million to $950,000 but almost certainly includes some bonus money to be paid this season. The exact bonus was not immediately available.

The extension also raised Driver’s 2007 base salary from $1.84 million to $2.7 million. His base salaries for the two additional years are $2.9 million in 2008 and $3.9 million in 2009. Driver’s original contract expired after the 2007 season.

The Packers haven’t typically extended contracts of players with more than one year remaining, so it’s unclear why they did so with Driver, 31, who caught a career-high 86 catches for 1,221 yards and five touchdowns.


--Sweet.

 

[SuperRat]

Looks to me like they are rewarding the guy that got deserved a bigger contract and went about asking for it with class.

 

[GakkofNorway]

I love you driver

 

[PackOne]

That is a top shelf move - for a top shelf player !

 

[digsthepack]

Awww, Javon.....see what well refined negotiation skills can reap. The "Tantrum Method" clearly did not work.

Great move, TT.

 

[LambeauEast]

This is VERY good news. DD was rewarded for his amazing abilities on the field, and his extremely classy way of going after a new contract.

Hmmmm, yet another non TT guy who was re-signed...the "TT only wants his guys in here" theory just had another hole blasted in it. Go TT, GO!!

 

[Zero2Cool]

ROFL

I wanna see Walkers face when he heard this.

 

[PackerLegend]

Great News For Driver and packer fans im so happy that he got what he wanted and so did we. In 2006 you will see Driver at the line of scrimmage and the next time you will see him is when he is doing the lambeau leap. He is gonna burn ya!!!!!!!!

 

[PackerLegend]

Driver had two years left on his contract, but according to Woy, he now has a four-year deal worth $17 million.


Woy is his agent justed wanted to say it is worth 17 million

 

[porky88]

Great signing.... Driver did it with class and got a deal done.

 

[cheesey]

Yup! We got him for 4 more years! If he keeps playing like he has his whole career, we ALL will be happy. I remember when he signed his last contract with the Pack.......he was on TV, and crying, he was so happy. He's a guy that has EARNED it!

 

[gopackgo4]

I love that Drivers just such an awsome guy and a great player. Definatly what a football player should be. PACKER PEOPLE. god I love the packers

 

[calicheesehead]

DD is the perfect role model for all the new young WR's we have and will have trying to build this unit up.

 

[PackinSteel]

The Packers haven’t typically extended contracts of players with more than one year remaining, so it’s unclear why they did so with Driver, 31, who caught a career-high 86 catches for 1,221 yards and five touchdowns.

Seems like if you keep your mouth shut and just play great football good things can and will happen. Good for the Packers - and great for Driver!!

 

[Greg C.]

Great news. Driver is one of my favorite Packer players of recent years. The timing of this extension is interesting, coming just one day after the announcement of Javon Walker's new contract with Denver. Driver understood that it is not his right to get a contract extension with two years left, so he took the high road in negotiations and got what he wanted. Sometimes it pays to do the right thing.

 

[porky88]

DD is the perfect role model for all the new young WR's we have and will have trying to build this unit up.

he's a perfect romodel for every generation. I'm talking college and high school kids. Look up to Driver and Harrison. Not TO.

 

[musccy]

I'm ecstatic that the Packers showed a willingness to reward someone with the character, work ethic, and value that Driver possesses.

BUT......what concerns me is that this contract looks like the setup for a cap casualty down the line! DD will be ~35 when the Packers are set to pay him 3.9 mil. I suppose the salary cap will inflate by then, so it may not be that big of a cap #, but I still hope that DD gets a fair amount of up front guaranteed money out of this...he has earned it, and I fear he will not see all the $$$ that is in his contract!

 

[SuperRat]

I think Driver has the class to do a renegotiation down the road if he needs to.

 

[pyledriver80]

Beautiful! It's nice to see. DD has earned it!

 

[figtab]

on espn they just said it was a 4 year extension.

 

[ChrisC]

Yup! We got him for 4 more years! If he keeps playing like he has his whole career, we ALL will be happy. I remember when he signed his last contract with the Pack.......he was on TV, and crying, he was so happy. He's a guy that has EARNED it!

Cheesey, I remember too how happy Donald was to sign that contract! I couldn't be happier now for Donald, or for the Packers!

What a great man!

Chris

 

[digsthepack]

Driver, barring serious injury, will play well at 35. Very few guys take better care of their bodies than he does. And he works hard.

Great move.

 

[Bobby Roberts]

This situation reminds me of the WR situation for the Steelers a couple years ago. At that time Hines Ward was drastically underpaid and Burress was coming off a pretty good year and became a FA. Pitt decided not to bother signing Burress but they gave Ward a big contract.

Ward is smaller and doesn't seem to have that game breaking talent of Burress. But Ward is a team guy who always works hard to do what's best for the team, while Burress was inconsistent and had only 1 really good year. At the time, many analysts questioned the decision to let such a talent like Burress go in favor of an 'average' WR.

Walker has similar talent to Burress, both being able to go up for the ball, and had one good year. Driver is a great team guy who always works hard to do what's best for the team.

TT is obviously working to follow the model of building a team similar to the Steelers. Keep hard working team players, build a strong defense and play solid, fundamental football. It'll be interesting to see if McCarthy can be as good as Cower at running the team.

 

[Heatherthepackgirl]

Driver is a cool dude!!! I talked to him by the autograph gate in November and of course got his autograph, you could tell he is a very down to earth type person, so glad we have him for more years.

 

[longtimefan]

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.packers ... 7569.shtml


Donald Driver got what he wanted: A contract extension that includes nearly $4 million in new money this season.



The Green Bay Packers receiver, who stated his unhappiness over his salary but never asked to be traded or released, received a $2 million signing bonus and a $2 million roster bonus as part of a two-year contract extension that was completed last Friday but never announced by the team.

Driver’s agent, Jordan Woy, confirmed in an e-mail to the Press-Gazette on Thursday that the deal was done. Packers General Manager Ted Thompson wouldn’t comment on the specifics of the deal, but he did say he was pleased that Driver will continue to be part of the organization for the foreseeable future.

“I will say this: Donald Driver is a fine player, and we’re glad he’s going to be here,â€